DMINLGP

DMin, Leadership and Global Perspectives: Crafting Ministry in an Interconnected World

Reimagining Our Culture in Light of Jesus’ Agenda

Look at where you live. What do you imagine that could change within your city and state? What could be made better? When Jesus came on the scene in human form, he had different ideas on what it meant to love God and to love his neighbor. His techniques were revolutionary at the time and not received well by others whose tainted agendas were concerned with padded pockets, the shame of others, and a law-based outlook. However, Jesus imagined a future filled with liberty, justice, and grace.

I find the words of Charles Ringma quite appropriate for this matter:

“The Jesus portrayed in the Gospels was neither a middle-class conservative nor a political radical. He did not join the Sadducees or the Zealots. Jesus instead paved the way for a creative alternative to these two positions. His way placed God’s concerns at the center of His activity, and it rejected the manmade rules encouraged religiosity but did not free people from their sin, hopelessness, and social rejection. Clearly, Jesus does not belong first of all to the church but to the world, and certainly not to those who have it all, but to those who hunger for justice and mercy” (“Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer,” Jan 12).

How does the Church’s vision and imagination compare to what Christ longs for? How do we handle societal status and socioeconomic classes? Jesus obviously sought the benefit of the marginalized, especially the poor and the widowed.

In my opinion the Church is gaining momentum in the right direction as far as addressing human need. Two areas in particular that are getting a great deal of attention are feeding the hungry and human trafficking. I have a feeling and it is my hope that such attention is not fad. In fact, humanity as a whole, from all walks of life, is joining together to bring awareness and change to these areas. The latter example especially promotes justice, liberty, and grace.

At the end of the day, it is not about us having all the right answers; rather we seek to show love. We show our love to the Father as we care for the least of these.